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Herby Tabbouleh Risotto with Roast Tomatoes

So Monday we were talking about heatwaves. It’s now Wednesday and the clouds are back and the heavens have opened. Never change England. Whether it rains or shines this is still technically Summer, and this little recipe gives a nod to that while being a little more warming and comforting for those chillier evenings. Tabbouleh Risotto with Roast Tomatoes, oh yeahhh.

For this one we’ve got all the fantastic, fresh flavours of Tabbouleh; lots of mint, parsley and lemon. But we’re mixing all of that into a base of creamy risotto with white wine, Parmesan cheese, onion and celery. Then it’s all topped off with Roast Cherry Tomatoes. The flavours are SO GOOD. We have leftovers for lunch and I’m already excited 😀

These roast cherry tomatoes are my absolute favourite right now. And SO simple. All you need to do is mix them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and then let your oven do the rest. The heat causes the skins to blister and burst and then the juices begin to ooze out, caramelise and mix with the olive oil. Drizzle those juices over your risotto for extra flavour. Or you could just spoon them into your mouth like I did. No shame in my game.

Can you make this vegan?

Go for it! Sub the Parmesan for a veganised version or use some nutritional yeast. Make sure the wine your using is vegan too. Job done.

How do you cook risotto?

Risotto is a bit of a labour of love. Once you’ve gently sautéed your onion and celery add your rice to the pan and coat it in the oil. This coating slows down the absorption of liquid. Before adding any liquid you want to make sure your pan is on a medium-low heat, enough for any liquids to gently simmer. If the pan is too hot the liquid will evaporate and your rice won’t cook properly. You then add your wine and allow that to cook down and absorb. Then begins the real test. Add a ladleful of hot stock, stir and allow it to be absorbed by the rice. Once absorbed repeat the process, adding another ladleful of stock and stirring. Repeat this for 15 minutes ad then taste your rice, if the rice is cooked there is no need to add any more liquid, throw in your cheese and herbs and get ready to serve. If it is not cooked keep adding in more stock until it is. If you run out of stock use water from a boiled kettle.

Why do you have to heat the stock up first?

Heating the stock up first ensures that the pan will stay warm and the rice will cook properly. If you add cold stock this will bring down the temperature of the pan and the liquid will not absorb properly, meaning gummy, uneven rice and a longer cooking time.

Why do you add the stock a little at a time?

By adding a ladleful of stock at a time you are ensuring you end up with perfectly cooked rice that is fantastic and creamy in texture. Adding all the liquid at once risks a risotto that is dry and undercooked or potentially overcooked and mushy.

Why do you have to stir the risotto often?

Stirring risotto encourages the starches to be released which creates a thick, creamy risotto.

A note…

There are risotto recipes out there that add all of the liquid at once and don’t stir! Traditionalists weep at the thought. The method I have outlined is the more traditional way to do it and the way I have always cooked risotto. It has always worked out well for me! But if you want to try the no-stir all at once method go for it! I’m pretty confident the recipe could easily be adapted for such. Let me know how it goes!

Herby Tabbouleh Risotto with Roast Tomatoes

Description

The classic flavours of Tabbouleh flavour this simple Risotto recipe. Full of mint, parsley and lemon and then topped with roast cherry tomatoes for an incredible sweetness!

Scale

Ingredients

For the Risotto

2 tbspolive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

2celery stalks, finely diced

400g arborio rice

300mls white wine

1.3L-1.6L vegetable stock or water

40g Parmesan cheese, grated

Juice of 2lemons

30g mint, finely chopped

30g parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Roast Tomatoes

600g baby plum tomatoes

1tbspolive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 180ºc.

Warm the olive oil to a medium-low heat in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add the onion and celery and sauté for 10 minutes until soft and translucent.

In a separate saucepan warm up your stock.

Add the risotto rice and cook for 1-2 minutes to coat it in oil. Then pour in the wine and cook for 3-5 minutes until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.

Add your tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper to a roasting dish and roast for 15 minutes, until they begin to develop a slight char and their skins burst.

Once the wine has been absorbed add a ladleful of stock (approximately 100mls) and stir it into the rice. Cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat the process of adding stock, stirring and letting it absorb.

After 15 minutes test the rice to see if it is cooked. It should be soft but not mushy. If it is not continue to add more water or stock until you reach the desired texture. The consistency of the mixture should be thick and creamy.

Once the rice is cooked add the lemon juice, parmesan, mint and parsley. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve the risotto in bowl with the tomatoes on top. Enjoy!